A prescription order is written for 40 mg of a drug. It is available in a 10 mL vial with a concentration of 25 mg/mL. How many mL are needed for the ordered dose?

Rationale

1.6 mL should be dispensed.

To determine the volume of the drug to dispense, we divide the prescribed dose by the concentration of the drug. In this case, 40 mg divided by 25 mg/mL equals 1.6 mL.

A (0.625) YOUR ANSWER

This choice represents an incorrect calculation. If we mistakenly used a larger concentration or miscalculated the conversion, we might arrive at this volume. However, dividing 40 mg by 25 mg/mL correctly yields a much larger volume, indicating that 0.625 mL is too small for the 40 mg dose.

B (1.6) CORRECT

This is the correct choice as calculated by dividing 40 mg by 25 mg/mL. The calculation confirms that to achieve the desired 40 mg dose, 1.6 mL of the drug must be dispensed.

C (6.25) YOUR ANSWER

This option reflects a misunderstanding of the relationship between dosage and concentration. If we incorrectly assumed a lower concentration or made an arithmetic error, we might mistakenly calculate this volume. However, 6.25 mL would far exceed the required 40 mg of the drug at the given concentration.

D (16) YOUR ANSWER

This choice significantly overestimates the required volume. A calculation leading to 16 mL likely arises from a misunderstanding of dosage calculations. At 25 mg/mL, this would correspond to 400 mg, which is far greater than the prescribed 40 mg.

Conclusion

In dosage calculations, understanding the relationship between drug concentration and required dosage is crucial. The correct volume to dispense when the prescription calls for 40 mg of a drug available at 25 mg/mL is 1.6 mL. The other choices fail to accurately reflect this calculation, leading to inappropriate dosages that could compromise patient safety.

A prescription order is written for 40 mg of a drug. It is available in a 10 mL vial with a concentration of 25 mg/mL. How many mL are needed for the ordered dose?

1.6 mL should be dispensed.

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